View Full Version : Tips for First Time Championship Attendees
eddie12390
03-04-2014, 07:59
I'd like to know any tips you have for teams that have never been to St. Louis / CMP before. We intend to take travel in two vans and the hotel that we are staying at has free parking so we should have travel in the city handled. Anything ranging from tips about robot preparation to places to eat would be appreciated.
JohnBoucher
03-04-2014, 08:04
Quick and cheap eats at Jimmy Johns
https://www.jimmyjohns.com/
Richard Wallace
03-04-2014, 09:22
Eric Curry of Team 1208 Metool Brigade has posted a guide to St. Louis in the past. Here's a link (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1349534#post1349534) to his most recent post, for teams attending the St. Louis Regional a few weeks ago.
Maybe 1208 is planning a Championship update? :)
eddie12390
03-04-2014, 10:46
Eric Curry of Team 1208 Metool Brigade has posted a guide to St. Louis in the past. Here's a link (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1349534#post1349534) to his most recent post, for teams attending the St. Louis Regional a few weeks ago.
Maybe 1208 is planning a Championship update? :)
Thanks, I wasn't aware of the regional guides existence
Here is the latest version of Team 1208's Championship Guide:
Jon Stratis
03-04-2014, 11:51
The biggest tip you can have... get everything booked ASAP! This includes hotel, flight, dinners, and anything else your team wants to do while in town. Things fill up FAST when there are hundreds of FRC, FTC, and FLL teams in town!
lanna.stars
03-04-2014, 12:02
ROBOPROM! The students loved it and it was great social for the mentors! Also if you have never been to St. Louis the Arch is walking distance and pretty neat to check out. Book everything as soon as you can as the city will be busy with LOTS of other teams. Oh and good luck!
Quick and cheap eats at Jimmy Johns
https://www.jimmyjohns.com/
SO GOOD! Food and service! We walked in with about 50 people, and we all had food in 15 minutes - not to mention the employees there are super friendly. Definitely make a stop there if you get the chance.
My tip would be to make sure that those working in the pit don't get stuck there the entire time. There's so much to see, do, and experience at champs - and yet it's really easy to miss it all by working on the robot the entire time. Make sure they sub out and get time to visit other pits, collect pins, watch matches, but merch, etc. Champs is a blast!
Also, have some sort of scouting plan in mind - maybe a collaboration with other teams. Last year 4814 ended up as the first (second maybe?) seed in their division, and they hadn't been scouting (they were a rookie team playing defence - they never expected they would be picking). Needless to say they had a mad rush Friday night/Saturday morning trying to whip a plan into action.
waialua359
03-04-2014, 14:41
Bring extra $$$ for the FIRST store so that you can buy your memorabilia for your 1st ever FRC World Championship experience.:)
If you have time I highly recommend visiting the City Museum, it will totally change your perspective of the word museum.
http://www.citymuseum.org/
Andrew Schreiber
03-04-2014, 15:36
Scholarship Row. Seriously, not just for juniors. Send the sophomores too. Heck, send ALL the students (just not at once, folks there get overwhelmed and then can't talk to students) .
DonRotolo
03-04-2014, 18:08
Good chance to speak with key suppliers too, like AndyMark, Bishop Wisecarver, and so many more.
Jay O'Donnell
03-04-2014, 18:12
Take the opportunity to go check out some of the best robots in the world up close. I was lucky enough to get a close look at 67 and 1114s robots at CMP in 2012 and that's something I will never forget.
Attend the Conference. There are some really great presentations each year. The presentation abstracts will be published soon. http://www3.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/firstplace/workshops-and-conferences
Encourage your mentors to attend the annual NEMO (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) meeting, to be held Friday morning from 10am to noon - come and go as your schedule dictates- in room 255 in America's Center. Open to all college-age and adult mentors - we will be discussing non-technical topics of interest to the group. http://www.firstnemo.org
RobotDoktor
03-04-2014, 23:24
Make sure to reserve Roboprom tickets on time if you have people planing on attending. Bring good shoes, you will walk, A LOT.
BleakRNS
03-04-2014, 23:30
If you have time I highly recommend visiting the City Museum, it will totally change your perspective of the word museum.
http://www.citymuseum.org/
I can vouch for this. How many other museums have a ball pit?
Bob Steele
03-04-2014, 23:41
If you have time I highly recommend visiting the City Museum, it will totally change your perspective of the word museum.
http://www.citymuseum.org/
What he said.... definitely
Make sure and meet other teams!!!
Cheer for everyone!!
Quick question: How do you register for the conferences?
jamierose
03-04-2014, 23:58
My biggest recommendation is to see as many robots as possible in the pits. No matter how many you see, you'll probably wish that you had seen more. To me, at least, there's honestly nothing more inspiring than going to the pits at Champs and seeing hundreds of amazing teams and hundreds of different robots all designed to play the same game in hundreds of different ways.
Meredith Novak
04-04-2014, 00:03
The Championship is a celebration of all FIRST programs. There is so much stress when you compete, but try to take time and visit with some FLL and FTC teams. Invite them to your pit.
leeivyca
04-04-2014, 01:17
When Team 766 was there in 2011 we found this store useful: Culinaria http://www.schnucks.com/stores/store.asp?store=301
It is a grocery store, like a Whole Foods, with tea/coffee, breakfast, lunch, and even dinner to take out. It's at 315 N. 9th Street, an easy walk from the dome and most of the downtown hotels.
We are looking forward to being there again ...
Michael Hill
04-04-2014, 02:43
Take the opportunity to go check out some of the best robots in the world up close. I was lucky enough to get a close look at 67 and 1114s robots at CMP in 2012 and that's something I will never forget.
This. You'll generally also be surprised how happy some of the kids on the team are to give you a "tour" of their robot. All you have to do is ask! See a really cool manipulator on their robot? Just ask how it works. Most people are proud of their engineering accomplishments and are very enthusiastic about showing it off.
mizscience
04-04-2014, 07:52
This is a fantastic thread! I haven't been to Championships since it's left Atlanta, but reading these posts makes me excited to get out to St. Louis and Championships as soon as possible. Keep up with the great ideas!
Bring lots of safety glasses and plenty of extras. Express that everyone should have them at all times (and take some time to thank the safety glasses volunteers, they have the worst job at Championship.)
Be prepared to walk, walk and walk some more.
And like Meredith said, spend some time with the FLL kids, they're awesome.
Quick question: How do you register for the conferences? Conference info including abstracts and registration information is here: http://www3.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/firstplace/workshops-and-conferences
Take a dedicated camera with a 8GB+ SD card. Phone cameras are "fine", but generally don't do as great a job. Fill the camera with robot photos, pit photos, team photos, cart photos, etc - including detailed ways that things work. I can't count the number of photos I've reviewed only to find extra things I wasn't even thinking about at the time. Photos are good for everything from mechanism mounts, wiring guidelines, awesome roller intakes, battery cart setups, etc. They also provide a good foundation for teaching others what works well in an FRC game.
cmrnpizzo14
15-04-2014, 11:52
Top 4 things to bring (besides the necessities):
1.) Good shoes
2.) Camera
3.) Chapstick
4.) Extra shirts!
You will be doing a lot of walking wanting to take pictures of everything and will probably end up with very dry lips at some point during the competition. Shirt trading can be pretty big and pretty fun too, especially if you have a cool design!
One thing that has gone around a few times on our team when we qualify is extra socks. You will be walking a TON and especially if you are running around for your team or working between the pits and stands all day a change of socks midway through the day can totally refresh you!
(Also drink water :) )
The FRC pits especially can get fairly toasty. Drink plenty of water and don't dress too warmly.
Take care of yourself. Make sure you get enough sleep. You can go one day, maybe two, on little sleep, but it catches up to you. And drink plenty of water (not soda, coffee, energy drinks). You don't want to come back from the trip with a cold or anything worse.
I hate seeing people sleeping in the stands - besides being a bad image, think about what they are missing out on.
Dancin103
16-04-2014, 10:35
The Championship is a celebration of all FIRST programs. There is so much stress when you compete, but try to take time and visit with some FLL and FTC teams. Invite them to your pit.
This! 100% agree. These teams are absolutely incredible and will just brighten your day!
Read the A-Z guide and plan out your schedules to include time away from the pits or scouting responsibilities to see the rest of the activities. http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FIRST_Championship/2014_FRC_CMP_A-Z.pdf
Take care of yourself. Make sure you get enough sleep. You can go one day, maybe two, on little sleep, but it catches up to you. And drink plenty of water (not soda, coffee, energy drinks). You don't want to come back from the trip with a cold or anything worse.
I hate seeing people sleeping in the stands - besides being a bad image, think about what they are missing out on.
Our team uses a version of the Healthy Hero slogan (5-2-1-Zero) that goes along with Carol's tip. Get a minimum of 5 hours of sleep a night, eat at least two meals a day, take one shower a day, and ZERO DRAMA! The days are very long, so remember to just relax and enjoy it and be nice to everyone! (I have to confess that by Saturday afternoon, I'm pretty tuckered out and have been caught snoozing in the stands between matches. :o )
Nyxyxylyth
16-04-2014, 13:13
Read the A-Z guide and plan out your schedules to include time away from the pits or scouting responsibilities to see the rest of the activities. http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/FIRST_Championship/2014_FRC_CMP_A-Z.pdf
Did anybody else notice the pit emergency number is one digit short? Who do we contact to fix it?
toddhans
16-04-2014, 13:44
The first thing I would recommend would be to know how to get around the Edward Jones Dome area, inside and out. Many places from the pits to the playing field are difficult to determine the quickest way possible. It can get easy to lose someone - have a contingency plan such as meeting at the pit or somewhere specific in the stands in case something like this comes up. Sometimes, a quick jaunt outside or using an elevator will save you time inside if you are trying to get to see a match from the stands as soon as possible. Unless you are with the robot, they really don't want you taking the robot way into the area.
Other fun things - the City Museum, as you can tell from these posts, is a popular one. The kids loved it. The Gateway Arch is a must at least one time when you're in St. Louis - bring a camera and a non-claustrophobic mentality as the cars that bring you up are quite tight in area. Some of us are going to the Cardinals/Pirates baseball game on Friday this time - last time our old team went (3747), we missed out on signing up early enough for that one.
Eating at the EJD can be expensive. You may have to walk a ways to get to an eatery - going toward the city's center you will find some restaurants, mainly slow food, so be aware of that. Go away from the city's center toward the casino or along the Arch's area did not have anything for eateries. I believe there is some pizza delivery that comes to the place as well. Our 3747 team actually had one vehicle park out in the parking lot and had a picnic from things we bought at Sam's Club the night before in coolers each day in order to save money - kind of like FRC tailgating at the big game!
Some other things I noticed in my two previous trips - 2011 we lost in the finals of Archimedes, so we were able to stay down on the field during Einstein as a replacement robot - 4 team alliances will pretty much take care of that idea - but it is an awesome feeling looking up in to the stands with tens of thousands looking down onto you. We won a national award, and due to us being down low, we did not get to hear the instructions of who should go up to get the award (we learned as we started to move that direction only two). If you feel you were not informed of something, ask someone who looks like they should know. Also, other FIRST championships take place there as well. It was fun to see them all. In 2011, they even had a college challenge with teams who created helipads competing. Definitely a lot to see all around.
In 2012 when we went (I missed last year, but the team we are currently on was able to go in 2013), it was interesting. We were able to see Team #1 (Juggernauts) in our division, so that was pretty cool to see. Get a bunch of kids together and walk around the pits of your division and others - there are a lot of awesome robots to see. We also had a tornado warning going off while Einstein was taking place, and some our vehicles did suffer some hail damage. We all stayed in our seats and watched the finals while the warning was issued - I am thinking there should be a better way of dealing with such an event in the future. Both years, there is an FIRST store that will sell FIRST stuff. You can get there early and have them add items to your clothing ordered (like names) if you are interested in that. Bring a good amount of cash for things like that and for food unless you have a credit or debit card.
Just some things I have noticed. St. Louis is a cool town during the day, and in some areas during the night, so enjoy it!
Just think of your outreach distance by inviting a team from Chile or Indonesia to a pit visit. FLL is the main reason FIRST gets to fly so many flags over the Einstein field. Remember also that FLLers get to Einstein first. Maybe some of that luck will rub off.
cadandcookies
16-04-2014, 16:23
Deodorant. Make sure all your students have it (I'd say mentors too, but most mentors are significantly better with personal hygiene than the students).
Michael Hill
16-04-2014, 17:50
Deodorant. Make sure all your students have it (I'd say mentors too, but most mentors are significantly better with personal hygiene than the students).
In Before Karthik
Richard Wallace
16-04-2014, 17:55
In Before KarthikMorning or evening? :rolleyes:
Top 4 things to bring (besides the necessities):
1.) Good shoes
2.) Camera
3.) Chapstick
4.) Extra shirts!
You will be doing a lot of walking wanting to take pictures of everything and will probably end up with very dry lips at some point during the competition. Shirt trading can be pretty big and pretty fun too, especially if you have a cool design!
+1 on the good shoes. I literally had blisters on my feet two years ago from running from the pits to the stands and back. And I could take a shortcut!
Good insoles are a must. This is the time to be gellin'!
I also like to bring menthol cough drops or lemon drops, 'cuz your voice will be shot from cheering!
Remember to hydrate. You'll forget, until it's too late.
jaykris284
17-04-2014, 01:49
There is a place called WhirleyBall in St.Louis. It's a great place to blow off steam especially before Saturday eliminations or even after Championships.
rich2202
17-04-2014, 11:23
Did anybody else notice the pit emergency number is one digit short? Who do we contact to fix it?
I reported the typo.
Jon Stratis
17-04-2014, 11:32
And even though you hear this a lot leading up to regionals: GET INSPECTED EARLY! Qualification matches start in the morning on Thursday this year, which means you only have a 5.5 hour period (3-8:30) Wednesday night to get inspected. Don't risk it by pushing it off until the last minute, or trying to squeeze it in Thursday morning before your first match.
And even though you passed inspection at your regional, that's not an acceptable argument if the inspector finds something you need to fix/change at champs!
When you que up for matches it will be VERY different than from regionals. Matches are not announced in the pits at all (there are four divisions and two other sections of FIRST it's not possible. You should start heading towards your match 30 minutes in advance. The walk from the pits to the field is not as wretched as it was in Houston or Atlanta but there's alot of traffic in the tunnel leading to field including FTC teams and even pedestrians. Learn immediately the location of your field. Galileo is the closest to the exit from the tunnel and will be to your right. Newton will be to your left. On the other side of the arena Curie will be straight ahead and Archimedes left of Curie.
To the right of Curie is the FTC fields and to the right of Galileo is Einstein.
Security is tight down on the field. They are instructed to be very strict with who has access to the Dome floor so take good care to keep track of your Driver's button and media badge. You don't want to miss a match because of a misplaced button.
Alan Anderson
17-04-2014, 13:02
Did anybody else notice the pit emergency number is one digit short? Who do we contact to fix it?
It looks like it got corrected today.
NickTosta
17-04-2014, 18:44
Take the opportunity to go check out some of the best robots in the world up close. I was lucky enough to get a close look at 67 and 1114s robots at CMP in 2012 and that's something I will never forget.
This, right here. This is what puts the "Inspiration" in FIRST.
Be sure to look at the "Spectator Schedule" on the usfirst.org site and do some strategic planning. Note that there is no Scholarship Row on Sat. (be sure to visit on Thurs. or Friday) nor is there a Supplier Showcase on Sat.
Also the Sponsor and Alliance Exhibits close at 11am on Sat. (and some are there just Thurs & Friday). There is a lot of fun stuff to do at these exhibits so schedule a visit on Thurs. or Friday!
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